We often go fairly long periods without seeing a vet, but unfortunately we've been having fairly regular veterinary visits recently. However, there's always the consolation in a veterinary visit in the form of the excitement which it generates. If our regular vet David Dugdale comes, that's very good as he's not only a top-class vet, but also an extremely nice man. If David can't come, it will likely be Simon Waterhouse, which is great as his arrival always brings about a flutter of excitement among the ladies. And,
nowadays, if it isn't David or Simon, it might be Paul Ormonde, which is really exciting as Paul has his own Wikipedia page. Not for vetting, but for hurling. Yes, that's Paul Ormonde the famous hurler, whose arrival is reminiscent of that wonderful scene in 'Apocalypse Now' when Robert Duvall, marvelling at the heroism of a dying Vietnamese peasant, is on the verge of offering said dying peasant a drink of water from his flask - only to lose interest instantly and completely, the water still untouched, when word
reaches him that the Private Johnston who has just arrived with Martin Sheen is actually Lance Johnston, the famous surfer. (Which, of course, leads us on to the memorable line, when Lance Johnston seems understandably unkeen to give a surfing demonstration in the middle of a battle, "Surf or fight" - because, as we were reminded by the name of a former Rae Guest-trained galloper, "Charlie don't surf"). Anyway, that's Paul the famous hurler (seen here being supervised by Gus while changing a bandage) and the reason why he is mentioned in this chapter is
because he came up with a timely Irish proverb yesterday: "When March arrives like a lamb, it leaves like a lion". Yesterday was 1st March - ie the first day of spring - and the month really did arrive like a lamb. The night had been very mild, and the day was lovely: 14 degrees (which seemed like more), not a breath of wind, blue skies and sunshine (as we can see in these next photographs from yesterday, of Dr Darcey and Ethics Girl coming off Long Hill AW, ridden by Terri and Hugh respectively, and of Wasabi
being hosed down by Hannah after her exercise). However, the lion is already starting to reveal itself. The clear skies helped the temperature to drop last night so we had a frost (as one can almost tell from this fourth picture which shows the view across the Severals around dawn) and, while the first half of the morning seemed to be shaping up - after the mist had risen, through which are seen striding down the side of Warren Hill two Godolphin horses, ridden by Colin Rate and
Peter Ryan, whom some might remember as being a very good apprentice with Luca Cumani in the '80s and a leading conditional jockey with Jimmy Fitzgerald in the '90s respectively - into another pleasant sunny day (as it seems in this photograph of Batgirl and Karma Chameleon walking perkily home from their canter) the clouds came over and we ended up with a fairly grim cold, grey, damp day. Still, Mill Reef, as the name of his biopic told us, was something to brighten the morning, and so is
the horse who is either the best horse or the second best horse in the world, and who is shown in this final photograph, under his friend Shane Featherstonehaugh, coming out of the mist today in Henry Cecil's string. Frankel's regular sorties to Warren Hill are a sure sign of things to come - as, indeed, was the new rider in William Haggas' string for two lots this morning: Paul Hanagan, bedecked in a blue and white stripped Hamdan cap. That is a partnership which will surely yield plentiful success, and it was no surprise to see Paul, a true professional, wasting no time in familiarizing himself with his future mounts.
We often go fairly long periods without seeing a vet, but unfortunately we've been having fairly regular veterinary visits recently. However, there's always the consolation in a veterinary visit in the form of the excitement which it generates. If our regular vet David Dugdale comes, that's very good as he's not only a top-class vet, but also an extremely nice man. If David can't come, it will likely be Simon Waterhouse, which is great as his arrival always brings about a flutter of excitement among the ladies. And,
nowadays, if it isn't David or Simon, it might be Paul Ormonde, which is really exciting as Paul has his own Wikipedia page. Not for vetting, but for hurling. Yes, that's Paul Ormonde the famous hurler, whose arrival is reminiscent of that wonderful scene in 'Apocalypse Now' when Robert Duvall, marvelling at the heroism of a dying Vietnamese peasant, is on the verge of offering said dying peasant a drink of water from his flask - only to lose interest instantly and completely, the water still untouched, when word 
reaches him that the Private Johnston who has just arrived with Martin Sheen is actually Lance Johnston, the famous surfer. (Which, of course, leads us on to the memorable line, when Lance Johnston seems understandably unkeen to give a surfing demonstration in the middle of a battle, "Surf or fight" - because, as we were reminded by the name of a former Rae Guest-trained galloper, "Charlie don't surf"). Anyway, that's Paul the famous hurler (seen here being supervised by Gus while changing a bandage) and the reason why he is mentioned in this chapter is 
because he came up with a timely Irish proverb yesterday: "When March arrives like a lamb, it leaves like a lion". Yesterday was 1st March - ie the first day of spring - and the month really did arrive like a lamb. The night had been very mild, and the day was lovely: 14 degrees (which seemed like more), not a breath of wind, blue skies and sunshine (as we can see in these next photographs from yesterday, of Dr Darcey and Ethics Girl coming off Long Hill AW, ridden by Terri and Hugh respectively, and of Wasabi 
being hosed down by Hannah after her exercise). However, the lion is already starting to reveal itself. The clear skies helped the temperature to drop last night so we had a frost (as one can almost tell from this fourth picture which shows the view across the Severals around dawn) and, while the first half of the morning seemed to be shaping up - after the mist had risen, through which are seen striding down the side of Warren Hill two Godolphin horses, ridden by Colin Rate and 
Peter Ryan, whom some might remember as being a very good apprentice with Luca Cumani in the '80s and a leading conditional jockey with Jimmy Fitzgerald in the '90s respectively - into another pleasant sunny day (as it seems in this photograph of Batgirl and Karma Chameleon walking perkily home from their canter) the clouds came over and we ended up with a fairly grim cold, grey, damp day. Still, Mill Reef, as the name of his biopic told us, was something to brighten the morning, and so is
the horse who is either the best horse or the second best horse in the world, and who is shown in this final photograph, under his friend Shane Featherstonehaugh, coming out of the mist today in Henry Cecil's string. Frankel's regular sorties to Warren Hill are a sure sign of things to come - as, indeed, was the new rider in William Haggas' string for two lots this morning: Paul Hanagan, bedecked in a blue and white stripped Hamdan cap. That is a partnership which will surely yield plentiful success, and it was no surprise to see Paul, a true professional, wasting no time in familiarizing himself with his future mounts.
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